Fleet Upfitting Process: From OEM to Road Ready

Whether you are discussing your needs with the upfitter, or with your dealers, it is important to plan ahead for vocation-specific upfits and accessories.

Sourcing the right configuration (upfit) for your work vehicle and finding the right dealer to help procure it can sometimes feel like a choose-your-own-adventure story. One type of upfit does not work for every vocation-specific need.

Plus, building a work truck is complex even without considering the unique needs of various vocational applications. Although each vehicle begins as a chassis or van from an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), what happens­ next in this multi-stage process?

OEMs produce incomplete vehicles, such as chassis cabs, cutaway, stripped chassis (pictured) that all need ‘bodies’ added later by a third-party manufacturer.

Beginning Stages of an Upfit

The process begins with OEMs such as Ford, GM, and Stellantis, which produce incomplete vehicles, such as chassis cabs (cabin but no bed), cutaway (van front with no back), stripped chassis (no cabin or bed) that all need ‘bodies’ added later by a third-party manufacturer (upfit) to make them legal and functional.

Examples include dump beds, stake beds, cargo boxes, utility bodies, delivery vans, shuttle vans, ambulances, and RVs.

Also, OEMs produce pickups and vans that are roadworthy from the factory but are waiting for trade-specific accessories added to the pickup’s bed or interior of a van.

These include ladder racks, partitions, trade work boxes, liftgates, shelves, and bins used in HVAC, construction, electrical, and utility work.

Certified Upfit Manufacturers

Once the truck or van leaves the OEM, the path is often determined by an OEM's "fitment" criteria and upfit manufacturers that the OEM certifies.

For example, General Motors' certification program creates Specialty Vehicle Manufacturers that meet fitment criteria under an established standard. This program ensures that the OEMs can oversee quality control while keeping the chassis and vehicle warranty valid to when the vehicle reaches the buyer.

The Ford Pro Upfitter (FPU) program is their new upfitter accreditation program, formerly known as Qualified Vehicle Modifier (QVM). This new program forms a foundation for Ford Pro to work more closely with final-stage vehicle manufacturers. This relationship aims to provide a more seamless end-to-end experience for mutual customers.

Stellantis has an upfit certification program as well.

From the Assembly Line to the Buyer

After initial assembly, an unfinished vehicle is sent to one of multiple locations: automotive dealers, body or equipment manufacturers, or truck body and equipment distributors.

Automotive Dealer

Dealers can either order the vehicle to keep on hand and then wait for a buyer to request a specific upfit or prebuild specific body types that are the top sellers, such as service bodies.

Once a buyer has decided what upfits are needed, the dealer sends their vehicle to an upfitter to be upfit and then the vehicle is returned to the dealer upon completion.

“Dealers who are committed to the commercial business typically keep a certain percentage of their inventory already upfit as often the business customer is in dire need, losing thousands of dollars a day because their vehicle is down, and can’t wait for possibly months to receive an ordered vehicle. This investment gives those dealers an advantage in the market,” Kathryn Schifferle, CVO of Work Truck Solutions, who provides dealers with commercial tools and online listings, said.

Body or Equipment Manufacturer

These manufacturers, which can be directly linked to an OEM in one of their certification programs, may hold onto a vehicle in a bailment pool until they are ready to upfit for a dealer or the dealer's buyer.

In this case, the OEM will send the vehicle directly to a body manufacturer to keep the timeline of the upfit process moving. As soon as a dealer requests that a pool vehicle be upfitted, the ownership of that vehicle is transferred to the dealer from the OEM.

“A commercial customer can opt to do a Ship-Thru, where the vehicle passes through one of our plants, and we pass it back to the OEM’s traffic system after modification. This process is very efficient. Or a customer may want a Ship-To where the vehicle goes directly to our plant, and we arrange final delivery,” Lee Scafidi, executive director of operations at National Fleet Services, said.

Truck Body and Equipment Distributor

Distributors are often experts on certain types of upfits, especially for market areas with specific geographic or vocational needs and proximity to a specific OEM’s plant. Dealers can call on distributors for expertise on an upfit since they modify vehicles in hundreds of ways to meet customers' needs.

Distributors may work with the body and equipment manufacturers to help cover a larger market. Still, they can work with a dealer's in-stock vehicles, an unfinished chassis or van, or be eligible to carry unfinished chassis and vans directly from an OEM in their pool.

Distributors are typically the final upfitters and can add accessories such as power technology, lifts, ladders, racks, and more.How Fleets Can Shorten the Upfit Process

“It’s critical to coordinate your upfit needs with the OEM’s production schedule and your allocation,” Patrick LaRiviere of National Fleet Services said regarding how larger fleets plan their vehicle needs.

“It doesn’t help timing to have upfit components sitting on a floor somewhere while the chassis is eight months from being produced. Make sure the chassis and the upfit components are coordinated to be available for upfit together,” LaRiviere said.

Smaller fleets typically use the expertise of their local commercial dealer to help them plan their vehicle replacements so as not to be caught short.

“Dealers are providing more and more consultative services, such as telematics, mobile service, fleet management, fueling, and specialty financing. Today’s dealer can add value by helping their business customers be more efficient, save on maintenance and fuel costs, and more. A smart buyer looks for a truly committed dealer and takes advantage of that commitment,” Schifferle said.

Final Thoughts

Whether you are discussing your needs with the upfitter, or with your dealers, it is important to plan ahead. The upfitter or dealer may have several suggestions and experience with what works best as a starting chassis/content for the desired upfit.

In large fleets, “Pilot builds are critical to evaluate the actual vehicle and see first-hand if it really meets all your needs or if something needs to change before you build 300 of them,” said LaRiviere.

Planning might seem too difficult with smaller fleets, but learning more about how new designs and technology can help make the work run smoother is worth the investment and can pay off during the vehicle's life.